Harpalyce

[Cptn Corizon 0]

Aboard the freighter Harpalyce, Joshua Sanders leaned back into the poorly upholstered chair of the command center of the Altair¬-class vessel. Once a sparkling, resplendent freighter that had boasted some of the fastest engines then available, the Harpalyce had since gone through five owners, four major refits, a run in with Tarkalian Raiders, and three name changes; she had also, albeit briefly, served as the flagship of Tarais Bein’s “Freedom Force 9” fleet during the Dominion War. As he sat twirling a stylus between his fingers, Joshua Sanders couldn’t help but feel as if he were in a literal piece of history.

 

As he considered whether or not to take a chance with the replicator a deck below him, the Harpalyce cruised along idly at warp 3.6 – the maximum cruising speed she could maintain for longer than a couple hours before her core would have to be stripped and cooled down and the rebuilt entirely – in the no man’s land of the Neutral Zone. He looked over to the analog monitor that showed the status of each of the cargo units and sighed. How he’d let himself get talked into this particular mission continued to escape him, and more importantly he didn’t particularly see any way out.

 

Glancing back to the chronometer he decided to take his chances with the replicator and looked to his shift mate. She was tall, slender, domineering and self-assured (did he mention intimidating?) and had three full ranks on him. He also felt rather certain that she knew far more about the actual nature of the cargo stored below deck than she was letting on, but he also didn’t trust her enough to even bring up his concerns.

 

“Hey Kayla,” he said. “I am going to go grab something from the replicator. You want anything?”

 

She looked up, flipping her sleek, raven hair to one shoulder. “No, but thank you,” she said curtly. “I am fine.”

 

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

 

“I am fine,” she said. “If you want to take the rest of the shift off, don’t worry about it.”

 

“Gee,” he said smiling, despite himself. “Thanks Command…”

 

“Kayla is fine,” she said quickly. “Remember your briefing.”

 

“Of course, Co… Kayla.”

 

Kayla waved him off, watching as the sandy-blonde human scampered off the bridge. She leaned back into her own chair with a heavy sigh. She’d barely started to run sensor sweep of the area when she heard the deep voice of Darris Gis’Akk.

 

“I still don’t understand why they’d put such a greenie on something like this,” he said, sliding into the seat next to her. “Boy’s going to blow it and get us all killed.”

 

“He’s just anxious,” she said, patiently to the large mound of flesh that had deposited itself next to her. “It’s his first actual mission. He doesn’t even know what we’re doing…”

 

“He really thinks we’re just transporting some supplies for a joint operation between the Tal’Shiar and Starfleet Intelligence?”

 

“Technically, we are.”

 

Gis’Akk chuckled in a low rumble that resembled a rock slide more than a laugh. “What is that human phrase… always hide a truth inside a lie?”

 

“It does make them easier to swallow,” she said with a smirk. “Anyway, he’s too scared to even ask about it.”

 

“You think he wants to?”

 

“Wouldn’t you?”

 

“I would have just looked in them myself.”

 

“That’s why you have that,” she said, motioning to a long vertical stripe that ran down the entire length of the Rokkarian’s blocky face.

 

Frowning, Gis’Akk instinctively put his hand to the mark, both in shame and annoyance. “I suppose you’ve got a point.”

 

“Of course I do,” she said. “Listen, I understand your concern for the boy…”

 

“No,” he said gruffly. “Just my own hide.”

 

“Of course,” she retorted, content to let that slide. “Anyway he’ll be fine. As soon as we’ve cleared the Neutral Zone we’re home free anyway.”

 

“What about the other two shipments?”

 

“They’re on Romulan transports.”

 

“Figures,” he said. “Bet they didn’t get scrap heaps without working showers.”

 

“Of course not,” she said. “You think those bastards particularly care if we live or not?”

 

“No, but you’d think they’d want our shipment safe too.”

 

She shook her head, though not in agreement. “Anyway, get back down to engineer and check with Dalo. Ask her if we’re going to need to switch anything up when we get to the tachyon field.”

 

“No problem,” Gis’Akk said. “I’ll also stop by the cargo hold and make sure your little friend didn’t get curious.”

 

“And what are you going to do if he did?”

 

“What do you think?”

 

“If you make a mess, clean it up.” Kayla turned towards her console, mostly to hide her frown. “I am sure he didn’t though.”

 

"Better not."